74 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



gurnard, viz. T. Pini, T. Giiniarchis, T. Iliruiulo. Four-fifths of them were, 

 however, of the hist-named species. 



The Piper, Tnc/la Lyra, Linn., 



Is known to me only as a fish of the southern and south-western coast. 



In Smith's Cork (p. 309), two gurnards are mentioned ; the Grey, and 

 " Lyra Piper, or Ked Gurnard ; " but, as there are other red species, we 

 cannot know positively whether or not this one was meant. However, it (as 

 well as other red species) is, according to Dr. Ball, occasionally taken at 

 Youghal, where " it is called the Piper, from its music when dying." This 

 gentleman adds that " it is a favourite dish, when stuffed with savoury mat- 

 ters and baked." 



The only Irish sjiecimens of this fish which I have seen were two that 

 ■were on sale, in the town of Galway, in July, 1S40. 



Mr. M'Calla informed me that it is ta.cen plentifully in Galway Bay, 

 and at Roundstone, but that it does not there attain the size mentioned 

 in Jenyns's Manual. 



Yarrell states that this species is " said to have been taken in Belfast 

 Bay (Brit. Fish., vol. i. p. 52) : and Templeton noted it as found in the 

 North of Ireland ; but, as already mentioned, I regard the latter note as 

 referring to T. Pini, which is a conmion fish here, and which is not included 

 in Templeton's list. The former species may, however, occur in the North. 



The Grey Gurnard,* Trigla Gumardus, Linn. ; T. Cuculus, Bloch, 



Is found around the coast. 



It is more generally disseminated, and much more numerous, than any 

 of the other species of gurnard. Specimens from the northern, eastern, 

 and southern shores are in my possession, and I have notes of their being 

 plentiful on the western coast. 



This fish is chiefiy taken in the Summer and Autumn, and is sometimes 

 brought to Belfast market from the beginning of March until the end of 

 October. Not being in much favour for the table with those who can 

 afford a choice, it becomes a cheap food to the poorer ])eople. Along the 

 northern coast, the grey gurnards are frequently seen in vast shoals on 

 the surface, during the Summer season, and are captured in great num- 

 bers. On such occasions, the price varies from 4c/. a dozen to 4t/. a score. 

 At UuncU'um, on the coast of Down, where I have seen it taken, sand- 

 eels and the fat of meat Avere successfully used as bait ; and once, in my 

 presence, a slice cut off the side of one the moment it was brought into 

 the boat had hardly reached the bottom before another was taken with it. 

 This, I learned, was a common bait ; a piece of red cloth is also used for 

 the same purpose. The food that has generally occurred to me in their 

 stomachs was crustacea (the distinguishable species of which were Portu- 

 nus pusillus, and PundaLits annulicornis) and small fi.shes, chiefly of a sil- 

 very colour, as Animodj/tes and Clupea. The grey gurnard, when taken 

 from the water, emits, before dying, a kind of snoring noise, like others of 

 the genus. 



In four females which I examined in the month of October, the ova 

 were very faintly developed to the naked eye. 



In the Annals of Nat. History (vol. i. p. 348), I published the following 

 notice of Trivia Cucidus, Bloch, which had not been previously known as 



* Called " Knoud " in the North of Ireland. This name is also applied to the 

 species ui .Smith's Cork (1750). 



